Oryzias Japanese rice fish. Picture:Maidenhead Aquatics
Trade association OATA is reminding retailers to only sell Japanese rice fish or Medaka (Oryzias species) for indoor aquariums, and to ensure customers understand they cannot be kept in outdoor ponds or barrels.
The association has been alerted by the Fish Health Inspectorate that it has found examples of fish being kept outdoors. The Import of Live Fish Act, which governs which freshwater species can be imported and sold in the UK, only grants a general licence to sell these fish for indoor set-ups. Medaka cannot be kept outdoors because of their tolerance for low temperatures and the invasive risk the pose if they escaped into UK waterways.
The warning comes during Invasive Species Week (May 16-22).
OATA chief executive Dominic Whitmee said: “Invasive Species Week seems a good opportunity to remind retailers who sell these fish to make it clear to customers they must only be kept in indoor aquariums – and explain why that is. Our industry has a responsibility to ensure the species we trade in cannot become invasive and I’m sure if customers understood why they cannot be kept in outdoor ponds etc they would be happy to comply.
“Keeping Oryzias species in any capacity outdoors would breach the terms of the ILFA licence under which they are imported. If there continues to be reports of Oryzias species being kept outdoors then this could also result in action being taken by government bodies to ban the import and keeping of these popular species.”
